June 20 2025

Day Trip to Bratislava

While spending time in Vienna I decided to do a day trip to Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia. The cheapest option to get there that I found (other than hitchhiking) was taking a FlixBus for around 30 euros there and back.

My trip started by taking the metro to Vienna’s central station and finding the bus terminal located outside. Some people on the bus were in the middle of much longer journeys with one older woman near me going home to Krakow. The bus ride was pleasant other than the body odor of a guy that got on at a second stop before leaving Vienna. We arrived in a mall that was about a 20 minute walk from the center of Bratislava.

Since it was a hot day my first stop was Luculus ice saloon. I got dark chocolate and blueberry gelato for 2,50 per scoop. I enjoyed it on a shaded bench in a park-like area right in front of Luculus. The ice cream was quite good, but did not live all the way up to my expectations after hearing it was the very best ice cream people had ever had.

Image from Tripadvisor

I continued to walk around going through Bratislava’s central square, and under a highway where a guy was playing the accordion, before heading up the hill and many steps towards Bratislava castle. Definitely an “oh cool…anyways” moment. I wasn’t interested in paying the entrance fee so I took a glance at the birds eye view of the Danube and part of the city and figured I’d head down.

I also spotted the UFO bridge.

The heat was getting bad and I was sweating quite a bit from the walk up to the castle and down again, so I rested in the St. Martin’s Cathedral. Luckily it was quite a bit cooler there than the outdoors. I continued walking around and saw an open table under a tree at “Vespaio Caffetteria”. I ordered a croissant and an espresso with milk each of which made my wallet just 1,30 lighter, so 2,60 total. I took my time people-watching and listening to the unique Slovak language around me. For reference though I found that people in Bratislava spoke fairly good English.

I continued walking and stopped to browse at a convenience store where I spotted a bottle of Kvass/Kbac which is a drink popular in countries of the former USSR. It’s made of fermented rye bread and to me has a slight taste of soy sauce umami-ness. It’s not my favorite but the cold carbonation was refreshing. There were also some Gopniks with their adidas jumpers on which added to the Soviet feel of the shop.

My final goal for the day was to get some Slovak food. I decided on the “archa-slovak restaurant” where I got potato balls filled with smoked meat and sauerkraut, a glass of wine, and a traditional poppy strudel with sour cherries for dessert. The total cost of this hearty meal and friendly service was only like 17 euros. Unfortunately, the main dish was not the best and honestly probably not a great choice on such a hot day.

On my way back to the mall where I was going to catch my bus I walked through a local cemetery. The only thing alive there were tons of mosquitos that harassed me. And when I got to the mall I received an email that my bus was a few hours delayed, yayyy…

To be honest Bratislava was kind of boring overall, and I would not recommend going out of your way to see it unless it really interests you. Doing a day trip is all you really need to explore the city. The food prices are great for a European capital though! I hope I gave you some good ideas about what your trip to Bratislava could look like.

Thanks for Reading!

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June 11 2025

A Hidden Gem in Vienna: Leopoldstadt

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About Leopoldstadt:

I spent a couple months living in Leopoldstadt last summer and will probably make multiple posts about the area. The restaurants especially are a highlight and were much better than the places I ate at in the center of the city. I will be sure to make a dedicated post for restaurants in Vienna that I recommend.

Leopoldstadt is Vienna’s 2nd district of the 23 total municipal districts that make up the central European city. Most touristy must-see attractions are in the 1st district and along what is known as the “ring”, a main road with street car lines that forms a semicircle around the city center. The opening of this semicircle, along which the “donaukanal” flows, marks the border between the 1st district and Leopoldstadt. Upon crossing the bridge there are instantly less people and a sense of calm. Mostly locals live here which makes it a wonderful break from the hustle and bustle of tourist crowds and gives visitors a clearer insight into the lives of the Viennese.

You may recognize the name Leopoldstadt from a recent play with the same title. The play is about a wealthy Jewish family who lived in Leopoldstadt during the first half of the 20th century. Even though the Jewish population of Leopoldstadt suffered a great deal after the annexation of Austria in 1938, the community seems to be thriving today. On my morning walks many Hasidic Jews were making their way to work and scooters seemed to be very popular with their children as a way to get to school. I couldn’t believe how many kids were zipping around some mornings. If anyone knows more about the Jewish population of Leopoldstadt feel free to let me know in a comment. I’d like to learn more.

Places to Visit in Leopoldstadt:

As I will always reiterate, the best way to see a new city is simply to walk around and explore wherever your heart takes you, especially in a place as safe as Vienna. Here are a few places that might be worth seeking out.

1. Augarten

Owner: Anna Saini, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Augarten-Park_24.jpg

The Augarten is a wonderful place to visit for free if you’re exploring Leopoldstadt and want to take a rest. During the late Spring and Summer Months there are a ton of flowers blooming which makes this park much more colorful than the main Stadtpark on the other side of the city. It is also a great place to cool off on a hot summer day with the many plants and trees giving much more shade than the hot concrete streets. A personal tip is not to go too late because the gates close around 9 or 10 in the evening.

There’s a cafe on the south side of the Augarten (not sure how else to explain) where you can get a cool drink or an ice cream. I never tried the food there so I can’t recommend that, but it is available. For budget travellers like me there is a Hofer (Aldi) grocery store nearby where you can buy something to drink or purchase picnic foods and bring them to the park. For ultra budgeters that still want an alcoholic beverage there is a refrigerated beer at Hofer that costs 0,55 cents. It tastes a bit pissy but not terrible. Don’t forget you can easily return the can to a machine at either the front or back of the store. This gives you 0,25 cents which you can either use toward another purchase or redeem for a few coins at the cashier. This means you just got yourself a COLD 0,30 cent beer!

2. Prater

Another highlight to point out is the Prater (which is still touristy). This is a year round amusement park with any rides one could ask for. It is a great place for kids and the site of the oldest operating ferris wheel in the world. It was built in 1897 to commemorate the golden jubilee of emperor Franz Josef I in 1898. Instead of gondolas the compartments for riders are more like a train car or mini house, which is something I hadn’t seen before. The price of 14.50 was too steep for me to stomach, knowing also that there isn’t much of the city to see from above other than the Stephansdom (big church). If you’re an oldtimer or fan of older films the “Wiener Riesenrad” ferris wheel was featured in “The Third Man” which was filmed in Vienna during the post war years. I won’t give any spoilers, but it’s interesting to see the city back then especially after having visited it.

3. Karmelitermarkt

Especially on Saturday mornings the Karmelitermarkt attracts locals and offers a variety of cheeses, meats, fruits, veggies, breads, and more. I visited it a few times and purchased a portion of fresh raspberries that a lovely old woman grows in her garden for 3 Euros. This market is much more relaxed compared to the popular Naschmarkt that is overcrowded and has some scams.

4. Tegetthoff Denkmal

This column is something cool I passed on my walk back from the Prater. I was surprised to see a column with so many ships and horses with fishtails in the capital city of a landlocked nation. Upon further reading I learned that it was put up to honor Admiral Wilhelm Tegetthoff’s victory at the Battle of Lissa in 1866. I hope I gave you some good ideas about what your trip to Leopoldstadt in Vienna could look like.